September 21, 2007

Rwanda: The Journey Begins

Associate Director James Arana, who with Executive Director Steven Botkin leaves for Rwanda on Sunday, September 23, writes:

Our journey to Rwanda started during a meeting in the Haymarket
Café in Northampton Mass. where we handed over some copies of
our brand new, hot-off-the-press MRI brochure to Adin Thayer of the
Karuna Center. Adin was leaving for one of her many trips to Rwanda and
asked if we would like her to pass out our brochures. A few months
later, Fidèle Rutayisire of Rwanda emailed MRI to get
information on how to start a men's center and the communication never
ceased. Fidèle did his research and, after long emails and
phone consultations with MRI, assembled his potential board members
together and the Rwanda Men's Center was born. Six months later,
Fidèle joined us in Nigeria for an MRI training.

What a pleasure it was to meet Fidèle after months of email
and phone conversations! He, along with 35 other Nigerians, Zambians,
and MRI staff from the Americas, embarked on a rigorous training to help
bring everyone together around the work of supporting African men to end
gender-based violence.

So, to say that we are excited to be going to Rwanda is an
understatement. The realization that I'm going back to Africa, the
motherland, is overwhelming. This trip is important to MRI because to
support a people and a country that has gone through so much harrowing
violence over its recent past is an honor. We've listened to
Fidèle, joined in his work to form the Rwanda Men's Center,
and, though there's much yet to be done, we join in his pride of the
accomplishments so far.

You can follow our progress in Rwanda by visiting this blog during
the time that we are there. We invite you to share in the exhilarating
development of the Rwanda Men's Resource Centre.